Tag Archives: Florida

As we chatted during our girlfriends’ dinner a few weeks ago, our talk was all about travel. My friend J was getting ready to take a winter vacation to Sarasota, Florida and planning a springtime trip to London. My friend N was debating where to take her husband for his milestone birthday. No talk of kids or health ailments, it was all about getting away and exploring the world during life after 60 (we are all now post 60).

Travel Is A Popular Pastime
A month earlier, I had been to media day at The New York Times Travel Show. The Travel Show takes place annually at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. It’s a fun event to attend. This year marked the 15th anniversary of the show, setting new records with more than 600 companies representing over 176 countries and 32,398 participants—the highest in the Show’s history. The New York Times Travel Show is the largest travel industry show in North America.

The New York Times Travel Show is held annually in NYC.

“Each year, more and more travel professionals and enthusiasts attend The New York Times Travel Show and for good reason,” says Maggie Kiselick, vice president of advertising and managing director, The New York Times Magazine. “People rely on the Show to provide both exceptional travel offerings and helpful information to help them plan their trips to see the world.

Have you traveled to Australia yet? It’s a hot destination for 2018.

Where Do You Want To Travel In 2018?
I always like to see what places The New York Times Travel recommends each year. On the list of 52 for 2018, I’ve been to New Orleans, Cincinnati, Glasgow (Scotland), Baltimore, Germany’s Western States, Seattle and Denver. That’s only 17 spots. Looks like I have much more traveling to do. Continue reading →

“Where do you want to go for your 60th birthday?” asked my daughter A and son D last year when we were planning our family getaway for my milestone year. Since my birthday falls in January, I knew I wanted to go someplace warm, someplace not too far, and someplace fun. I had so enjoyed my time in Pass-a-Grille in St. Pete Beach, Florida last January, that I decided it was a perfect spot for my 60th celebration weekend.

Pass-a-Grille has the most beautiful sunsets.

In July, we booked a large beach house on AirBnb. It had three bedrooms and three baths. My boyfriend L and I stayed upstairs in the master suite and A and D each had their own bedroom on the first level. The kitchen was fully equipped with everything you would need and there were decks off almost every room for soaking up the sun.

We rented a large house on AirBnb.

It was rather chilly during our stay but we didn’t let it dampen our spirits. Thankfully, the sun was shining more days than not — so we were able to be outside most of the time even if we couldn’t wear our flip flops.

Many Reasons To Love Pass-a-Grille
There are many reasons to love Pass-a-Grille. Nestled between the gulf beaches and the bay, it’s quaint, quiet and a great place to relax. The town has cute shops and seafood cafes. There are no high-rise hotels, except for The Don CeSar, an Historic Hotel at the entrance to the island. Continue reading →

During my travels to Clearwater Beach, Florida, last month, my boyfriend L and I had a chance to explore the area for five glorious days courtesy of The City of Clearwater.* If you haven’t yet read my initial blog post, “So Many Reasons To Fall in Love With Clearwater Beach,” be sure to check it out. Clearwater Beach is ranked #1 Best Beach in the US and #20 Best Beach in the world by TripAdvisor.

In addition to the sugar sand beaches, there are many other fun things to do in Clearwater Beach. That’s why it’s an ideal vacation spot whether you’re traveling as a couple or taking a family or multi-generational trip (as many baby boomers do these days). “I would definitely bring my future grandchildren to Clearwater Beach,” I said to L. He smiled and hinted that I might be a grandma before he is a grandpa, although it seems far in the future for both of us.

A Visit To Clearwater Marine Aquarium
“Welcome to Clearwater Marine Aquarium,” said Jen Carlisle, Director of Tourism Programs. A marine life rescue, relief and release center, the aquarium is home to Winter, the famous dolphin from the Dolphin Tale movie. Winter lost her tail at a young age after becoming entangled in a crab trap line. (Note: Read to the end and enter the giveaway below to win a Blu-ray copy of Dolphin Tale!)

Jen told us that Winter was transported to Clearwater Marine Aquarium where she was treated for extensive injuries. “Most dolphins with these type of injuries do not survive. She taught herself to swim and the team built a prosthetic tail for her. She is an incredible survivor story and an inspiration to millions who have persevered through hardship,” said Jen.Continue reading →

Glorious sunshine by day and picturesque sunsets at dusk, miles of pearly white sugar sand beaches, clear blue gulf waters, an abundance of restaurants with fresh fish and seafood, and luxurious resorts with gulf coast views — there are so many reasons to fall in love with Clearwater Beach.

It’s easy to see why this Florida spot has won multiple accolades in recent years, including #1 Best Beach in the US and #20 Best Beach in the world by TripAdvisor, plus “Best Beach” recognition from USA Today, Travel Channel, Condé Nast Traveler and Fodor’s Travel Publications.

I had a chance to soak it all in courtesy of The City Of Clearwater and I’m back to share the details.* My lucky boyfriend L joined me for five fantastic days at the new Wyndham Grand Resort Clearwater Beach, the second biggest hotel on the beach with waterfront vistas and waterside bar and restaurant.

It was nice to meet other writers on the FAM trip including Lisa Niver from WeSaidGoTravel.com and Jason Frye from TeaKettle Junction Productions, Inc. (Note: A familiarization trip, known as FAM Trip, is where media are invited to visit a city by the Tourism Board or Visitor Bureau or City Marketing Organization.)

My new FAM friends and travel mates.

Easy To Travel To
We flew into Tampa International Airport, which is about a 30 – 40 minute ride to Clearwater Beach. (Note there is also a Clearwater/St. Pete airport that services many cities.) There’s free local transportation with FloridaFreeRides.com, so we didn’t need to rent a car. You just call for a ride and tip the driver afterwards. It was very convenient. There is also Jolley Trolley that runs up and down the beach and coastal route 7 days a week. Plus Uber is available if you need a ride.

The Best Beaches
I had heard that there was something special about Clearwater Beach. The minute we stepped on the sand with our bare feet we smiled. “Ooh, aah, ooh, ahh! This is amazing sand,” I said to L. It felt so good to stroll along the soft sand. My Fitbit quickly hit 10,000 steps. We walked along the water’s edge, the water was warm. It was relaxing, shedding our worries and enjoying our time together.

From my visit to The New York Times Travel Show held at the Jacob K. Javits Center, N.Y.C. in January, it’s clear that boomers are a prime audience for many destinations. From Costa Rica to California, from Florida to the Philippines, from Morocco to Martinique, and everywhere else you can take a plane, ship, train or drive to visit, the post 50 market is on the move and so are their millennial children.

In fact, The New York Times announced that its annual Travel Show reached a new record of 30,099 participants during the three-day event —the highest attendance in the Show’s history.

The New York Times Travel Show reached a new record of more than 30,000 attendees.

So where do you want to travel during your life after 50?

I always like to see what places The New York Times Travel recommends each year. On the list of 52 for 2017, I’ve been to Canada (a variety of eastern and western cities), Detroit, Hamburg (Germany), Minneapolis, Kingston (Jamaica), Napa Valley (California), Sedona (Arizona), Madrid (Spain), Portland (Oregon), and yes, believe it or not South Bronx, N.Y., which is on the list. Since I was born in the Bronx I am curious to know more about this “industrial neighborhood’s revival!” That’s only 10 spots. Looks like I have much more traveling to do in my lifetime.

What’s Trending In Travel?
There were a few trends that I noticed from the panels at the Show. I also attended a media event sponsored by Trav Media, where I met with Convention and Visitor’s Bureau representatives to learn about their destinations and chat with Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) members to hear about their itineraries. Continue reading →

As a former New Yorker, I love exploring new cities whenever I travel. That’s why I so enjoyed my first visit to St. Petersburg, Florida. St. Pete has the best of both worlds – the beautiful beaches on the Gulf Coast and St. Pete’s vibrant downtown that’s filled with great restaurants, shops and cultural destinations. If I ever decide to spend my life after 50 winters in a warmer climate, I could definitely see myself residing in St. Pete, or a Florida city nearby.

A sampling of downtown St. Pete.

The downtown area is very close to Pass-a-Grille, where my boyfriend L and I stayed at the Inn on the Beach. (Did you read my first post about all the things to do in Pass-a-Grille? If not click here.) By car, it’s only about a 20 minute ride. We found parking to be inexpensive — it cost only $5 to park in the garage on Saturday. You can also grab a trolley from Pass-a-Grille to downtown which takes about 45 minutes.

The Inn on the Beach in Pass-A-Grille, St Pete, Florida.

A Best-ever Cuban Sandwich
One of our first stops for dinner was Bodega on Central Avenue, suggested by a member of the @VSPC Tourism team. The corridor is filled with a diverse selection of hip and cool small businesses run by entrepreneurs. Bodega was voted “Best of the Bay” for their Cuban sandwich, which is exactly what I ordered.

It was OMG, OMG, OMG, the best Cuban sandwich I’ve ever eaten. L ordered a roasted pork platter with plaintains, which was so, so good too. Bodega is known for their freshly made juices, a trend that I found all over Venice Beach, California last November as well. We sampled two different varieties with ingredients like ginger, turmeric, carrots and apples. I would recommend sharing a sandwich and juice if you go – it was way too much food for L and me to consume for dinner.

Best-ever Cuban Sandwich.

Delicious pork and plantains.

To Market, To Market
On Saturday we headed back downtown to experience St. Pete’s Saturday Morning Market, held every Saturday, October – May from 9 am – 2 pm. It is the largest fresh market in the Southeast US. There’s food, crafts, and music. It’s so much fun. Continue reading →

“I really like your blog, and wondered if you would care to come and visit us at Inn on the Beach for a two-night stay. To tell you a little about ourselves, we’re a complex of recently refurbished self-catering cottages and rooms situated on St Pete Beach, many of them offering beautiful views out over the gulf,” said the invitation from D.*

Having never explored the west coast of Florida, I was excited to visit. My boyfriend L was also glad to get away. So when the cold winds roared last week, we packed our bags and headed for a long weekend in sunny St. Pete. We added a few extra nights to lengthen our stay giving us time for a pleasant winter retreat at the Inn on the Beach in Pass-a-Grille.

The Inn on the Beach in Pass-a-Grille, St Pete, Florida.

The Inn on the Beach Is A Little Bit Of Paradise
We arrived after a short flight from Philadelphia to Tampa International Airport, rented a car, and were at the Inn on the Beach in about 30 minutes. The Inn is located on 14th Street and Gulf Way in the historic Pass-a-Grille area,

My boyfriend L and I were excited to arrive at the Inn on the Beach.

We rented the Blue Heron room on the second floor with a terrace overlooking the beach. The room had a king size bed, open closet to hang our clothes, renovated bathroom and little efficiency kitchen. There is onsite parking, daily maid service, daily coffee, and continental breakfast is served in the courtyard on the weekend.